1. Field Of the Invention
This invention relates to novel pentacyclic aromatic alkaloids of marine origin and their use as anthelmintics and inhibitors of reverse transcriptase activity. This invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions formulated therewith.
2. Related Disclosures
Many polycyclic aromatic alkaloids, most of which exhibit a variety of biological activities, have been isolated from marine plants and animals. See, for example, the following:
(a) "Shermilamine A: A Pentacyclic Alkaloid from a Tunicate," P. J. Scheuer et al., Journal of Organic Chemistry 1988, Vol. 53, pp. 4619-4620, where the isolation and structure elucidation of a marine invertebrate-derived thiazinone-containing pentacyclic alkaloid is described; PA1 (b) "A Novel Pentacyclic Aromatic Alkaloid from an Ascidian," F. J. Schmitz et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society 1987, Vol. 109, No. 20, pp. 6134-6136, where the isolation of a fused pentacyclic aromatic alkaloid is described; PA1 (c) "Ascididemin, A Novel Pentacyclic Aromatic Alkaloid with Potent AntiLeukemic Activity From the Okinawan Tunicate Didemnum Sp.," J. Kobayashi et al., Tetrahedron Letters 1988, Vol. 29, No. 10, pp. 1177-1180, where the isolation and structure elucidation of a novel pentacyclic aromatic alkaloid having potent antineoplastic activity is described; PA1 (d) "Amphimedine, New Aromatic Alkaloid from a Pacific Sponge, Amphimedon sp. Carbon Connectivity Determination from Natural Abundance .sup.13 C--.sup.13 C Coupling Constants," F. J. Schmitz et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society 1983. Vol. 105, No. 14, pp. 4835-4836, where a new, cytotoxic fused pentacyclic aromatic alkaloid of marine origin is described; PA1 (e) "Petrosamine, a Novel Pigment from the Marine Sponge Petrosia sp.," T. F. Molinski et al., Journal of Organic Chemistry 1988, Vol. 53, pp. 1341-1343, where a new alkaloid of marine origin, similar to amphimedine, is described; PA1 (f) "Dercitin, a New Biologically Active Acridine Alkaloid from a Deep Water Marine Sponge, Dercitus sp.," O. J. McConnell et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society 1988, Vol. 110, No. 14, pp. 4856-4858, where the structure elucidation of a fused Pentacyclic aromatic alkaloid of marine origin is described., PA1 (g) "Alkaloid Metabolites of the Marine Tunicate Eudistoma sp.: Segoline A, Isosegoline A and Nor-segoline," Y. Kashman et al., Tetrahedron Letters 1988, Vol. 29, No. 31, pp. 3861-3862, where the structure elucidation of several polycyclic alkaloids is described; and PA1 (h) "Studies on the Structure of Calliactine, the Zoochrome of the Sea Anemone Calliactis Parasitica," C. Cimino et al., Tetrahedron 1987, Vol. 43, No. 17, pp. 4023-4030, where the structure elucidation of a pentacyclic aromatic alkaloid is described. PA1 (i) preventing the disease from occurring in an animal which may be predisposed to the disease but has not yet been diagnosed as having it; PA1 (ii) inhibiting the disease, i.e., arresting its development; or PA1 (iii) relieving the disease, i.e., causing regression of the disease.
The disclosure of these and all other documents referred to in this specification are incorporated herein by reference.